The Snake Woman

A dedicated herpetologist who uses snake venom to manage his wife's unnamed mental illness, pushing his experiments toward obsession. His work aims to conquer the unknown, but it corrodes his judgment and endangers his family. He dies when his laboratory burns and is killed by a snakebite as the danger closes in.

Martha suffers from an unnamed mental illness that Dr. Adderson treats with venom. She dies during childbirth, triggering suspicion and fear in the village. Her death and the birth of Atheris haunt the community, driving the belief in a cursed lineage.

The baby born to the Addersons, unblinking and cold to the touch, who grows into a woman with a fully serpent identity. Raised by a shepherd after the murder of Adderson, she becomes the focal point of village fear. When threatened, she can transform into a cobra, culminating in a deathly three-shot confrontation.

A young detective from Scotland Yard, initially skeptical of the supernatural explanations. He follows the case to the moors, becomes entangled with Atheris, and shifts from disbelief to a protective belief as events unfold.

A senior Scotland Yard inspector who oversees the investigation with rational scrutiny. He ultimately destroys the report, choosing to spare belief in the supernatural, highlighting the clash between evidence and fear.

A retired village officer who connects the old case to current events and serves as a bridge between locals and official investigators. His calls and memories intensify the sense that something ancient still stirs in Bellingham.

The local midwife and pub patron who proclaims the baby a witch, inciting the mob's attack. She later uses a voodoo doll to compel Charles to act and warns him to shoot Atheris three times, embodying superstition while guiding crucial plot turns.

A barmaid at the village pub who influences Charles to believe in the curse. She provides a human counterpoint to fear, helping ground the town in ordinary concerns amid extraordinary rumors.

The physician who delivered Atheris and later departs for Africa. He joins the investigation as a pragmatic medical voice, skeptical of supernatural explanations and convinced the truth lies in evidence and science.

A calm guardian who raises the infant Atheris for 19 years after she is saved from the mob, caring for her away from village fears. He provides shelter and stability, representing a humane fade from the panic surrounding the Snake Woman.